A Square Affair ecognized. Square Affair refers to five men who are arrested for having annoymous sex in the Courthouse bathrooms. They never thoughtA Square Affair ecognized. Square Affair refers to five men who are arrested for having annoymous sex in the Courthouse bathrooms. They never thought they would be caught but they were and now have to face the consequences.The story is narrated by Clara May and her friend Frieda, the town gossips. These ladies know everything that goes on in town. Clara May had her suspicions but kept it to herself. Clara May is an individual who is very progressive for her age and the era. Because of this a few of the men are very comfortable talking to her. I really liked her character.The arrest of these five men and the consequences open up buried secrets that a few of them have harbored for a very long time. Are they all gay, have they grown accustomed to being gay and keep it secret, are they ready to "come out", choose to end their marriages, or do they keep their marriage together just because they feel it the right thing to do? These are questions that are eventually touched upon as the author tells the story. We come to know the wives of a few of the men, their feelings and emotions are put to the test as the trial of the men is ready to begin. I found this story to be very well written and true to how it was back in the 60's. 50+ years later, being gay is finally being accepted by most people. Most states now allow gay marriage, actually my daughter married her significant other just last week in Florida. We have come a long way in those years and it is a big step that has been a long time coming. The author really delved into the emotions that all people in this small community have and how the arrest and subsequent trial has affected them.I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.I received a copy of this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my thoughts....more

The Witch of Napoli The Witch of Napoli is a fascinating look into the world of magic and occult. Based on a famous medium,Eusapia Palladino,from ItalThe Witch of Napoli The Witch of Napoli is a fascinating look into the world of magic and occult. Based on a famous medium, Eusapia Palladino, from Italy in the mid 1800's. In this story the protagonist is Tommaso Labella, a reporter who spends time with Alessandra Poverelli on her travels as medium. She has been known to levitate tables and during her seances she speaks to the dead. Can she really do this? The head of England's Society for the Investigation of Medium believes that Alessandra is nothing but a charlatan and wants to prove this by subjecting her to numerous tests to see if there are any tricks used in her seances. Tommaso narrates the story and through him we learn that Alessandra was born into poverty, has a husband that beats her and only uses her for what he can gain. Tommaso accompanies Alessandra across Europe when she is asked to prove what she can do to the many skeptics that are trying to prove her false. This is at a time when people are fascinated with magic and the occult, where famous people such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes believe.I rather enjoyed this book, I found it to be fast paced and I didn't know that this was based on a real person until I finished the book. The author used a lot of quotes, descriptions and observations from the investigations into Eusapia Palladino to make the story believable. I am not a skeptic so I loved learning about this interesting person of history. I think the author did a remarkable job of intertwining fact and fiction to tell a story of a time when science in Victorian times relied on a few noted scientists and religious beliefs. I think a lot of people at that time believed in seances because the population did not live a long time because of diseases and epidemics, and any connection to a deceased loved one was important.A very enjoyable read, I recommend this book highly!...more

What a fun book this was! Emma Lee Raines can see dead people, but only people who have been murdered, like the town gossip Ruthie Sue Payne. Ruthie aWhat a fun book this was! Emma Lee Raines can see dead people, but only people who have been murdered, like the town gossip Ruthie Sue Payne. Ruthie appears to Emma Lee after she gets hit in the head. She is fine, except that she keeps seeing Ruthie everywhere she goes and when Ruthie tries to convince her she was pushed down the stairs and did not fall, Emma Lee has a hard time believing this. After a lot of convincing, she finally agrees to see what she can find out. Her investigation points the blame on her own grandmother, which she is having a hard time believing. WIth the help of Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, she unveils what happened to Ruthie Sue.

I loved this heroine, fiesty and funny, I found her character to be very likable. I read the book in a short amount of time and had more than a few giggles as the story went on. Ruthie Sue is a hoot!! Will she be able to cross over to the other side? I am not going to tell you that! You will just have to read this book for your self. A perfect balance of mystery, suspense and humor that keeps the reader turning the pages.I look forward to reading the next in the series, A Ghostly Grave. ...more

The Witch of Napoli is a fascinating look into the world of magic and occult. Based on a famous medium,Eusapia Palladino,from Italy in the mid 1800's.The Witch of Napoli is a fascinating look into the world of magic and occult. Based on a famous medium, Eusapia Palladino, from Italy in the mid 1800's. In this story the protagonist is Tommaso Labella, a reporter who spends time with Alessandra Poverelli on her travels as medium. She has been known to levitate tables and during her seances she speaks to the dead. Can she really do this? The head of England's Society for the Investigation of Medium believes that Alessandra is nothing but a charlatan and wants to prove this by subjecting her to numerous tests to see if there are any tricks used in her seances.

Tommaso narrates the story and through him we learn that Alessandra was born into poverty, has a husband that beats her and only uses her for what he can gain. Tommaso accompanies Alessandra across Europe when she is asked to prove what she can do to the many skeptics that are trying to prove her false. This is at a time when people are fascinated with magic and the occult, where famous people such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes believe.

I rather enjoyed this book, I found it to be fast paced and I didn't know that this was based on a real person until I finished the book. The author used a lot of quotes, descriptions and observations from the investigations into Eusapia Palladino to make the story believable. I am not a skeptic so I loved learning about this interesting person of history. I think the author did a remarkable job of intertwining fact and fiction to tell a story of a time when science in Victorian times relied on a few noted scientists and religious beliefs. I think a lot of people at that time believed in seances because the population did not live a long time because of diseases and epidemics, and any connection to a deceased loved one was important.

The Tapestry is the third book featuring Joanna Stafford. Joanna is a former nun from the priory in Dartford that has been closed, ordered by King HenThe Tapestry is the third book featuring Joanna Stafford. Joanna is a former nun from the priory in Dartford that has been closed, ordered by King Henry VIII. She does have some royal blood but court is the remotest place she wants to be. She is brought to the Tudor court, reluctantly, and is tasked with creating a tapestry for the King and inventory his many tapestries. On her first day at court, she is attacked by an unknown assailant. Thus starts her journey back into court life and it's many intrigues and backstabbing politics among the major players in the Tudor court. She is not a fan of King Henry VIII because of his dissolution on the monasteries and just his cruelness, but the King is currently married to Anne of Cleeves and has his sights set on Catherine Howard who Joanna is friends with. Catherine is young and very impressionable and Joanna wants to protect her from the scheming and irascible man that the king has become.

Joanna becomes fast friends with German painter Hans Holbein, who paints a picture of Catherine Howard that Joanna will incorporate into the tapestry she is tasked with creating. She uses her position of Tapestry Mistress to travel to Paris and Flanders and through Germany, she has an ulterior motive though. She found out that her friend and former fiancee, Edmund Sommerville, is in Germany but no one has seen or heard from him in a long time. So with her protector Geoffrey Scoville and Hans Holbein they travel into an area that is suffering from famine. During this time, Joanna has to figure out what the course of her life will be, does she want to marry or wait until England becomes a Catholic nation again so she can continue her life as a nun.

I did enjoy the previous two books in the series, but I think I liked this one the best. Joanna is a very likable character, finally able to see what it is she desires, to live a peaceful life away from the machinations of a corrupt court. Nancy Bilyeau is one of those kind of authors that tells a historical fiction story that is based on historical events and does so in an enjoyable and entertaining way. I loved the series for it's intrigue and suspense. I would recommend that you read the series starting with The Crown as it sets up the story right from the beginning. It is not a stand alone novel. I highly recommend this series for the Tudor fan and if you enjoy historical fiction in general....more

Back when I was in high school, there were a lot of authors that I read, like Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart and Phylis Whitney. LovedBack when I was in high school, there were a lot of authors that I read, like Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart and Phylis Whitney. Loved them all. These stories by these forgotten authors always helped me get a release from my life as a unloved teen. I always felt a kindred spirit to the heroines in the stories. Mists of Midnight reminds me of these stories about women who are often in dangerous situations and men who are mysterious.

I have read Sandra Byrd's Historical novels and really enjoyed them all. Mist of Midnight is the first in in the Daughters of Hampshire series. Victorian Era is often described as highly moralistic, straitlaced language and behaviour and that is reflected in this book. You won't find any naughty language or situations but what you will find is a hint of the heroine, Rebecca Ravenshaw's, life growing up in India and when she arrives in Hampshire England. What she finds upon arrival is that someone had taken over her life and now Rebecca has to do what she can to prove she is who she says she is, especially to the man who resides in her family home, Captain Luke Whitfield.

Mystery abounds as Rebecca delves further into who the woman was that impersonated her and why. Some things she finds out about Captain Luke Whitfield has her wondering if he is really who he appears to be or is there something more sinister about him. I believe that if you are looking for a book that has all the elements of a good story, mystery, romance and danger, then you should definitely pick up a copy of this first in a series. You will not be disappointed at all.